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chicago GEographies

the geographies of chicago are intricate, contested, and always shifting. they consist of various definitions, understandings, and lived realities that are both subjectively and objectively defined by residents, real estate companies, people outside of the city, and the city itself. the lived realities of these geographies also differ based on racialized identity due to the extreme racial and class based segregation that is embedded in the fabric of the city.  although chicago was founded by jean baptiste pointe dusable, a Black man of french hatian descent, Black residents in the city have lived in and moved through a city that has brought significant sociopolitical, cultural, and geographical struggle, economic disenfranchisement, tremendous anguish and pain, and ongoing death as a result of their racialized positioning. Black life in chicago is also full of radiant jubilation, cultural and musical innovation, triumphant history, togetherness, impenetrable love, and enormous laughter that is a joy to behold. we document these realities through images, music, and sounds that reflect the multifaceted, infinite, and captivating contours of Black chicagoland. 


as our project expands, we will add more information specifically about the Black geographies of the city-region and its histories and current conditions. Black chicago life is often reduced to the south side based on particular neighborhoods and community areas that ignore the depths of the south side, other sides of town, the suburbs, villages, and towns that make up the chicago metropolitan area. our project highlights these places and a more expansive examination of the south side and the Black chicagoans we find in them to construct a more accurate reflection of Black chicagoness in our city-region. for now, we have compiled a list that offers a sense of the spatial organization of the city as a primer for understanding the geography in our work. 

community areas

chicago is divided into 77 community areas designed by the social science research committee at the university of chicago in 1920. these boundaries remain static in order to gather data about the city that can be analyzed across time. five criteria to denote community area boundaries include:


  • settlement, growth, and history of the area
  • local identification with the area
  • local trade area
  • distribution of membership of local institutions
  • natural and artificial barriers


chicago was originally broken down by 75 community areas (935 census tracts). however, a 76th community area (o'hare) formed when chicago annexed o’hare International airport in the 1950s. in 1980, the community area of edgewater separated from uptown creating the 77th community area. most chicagoans do not recognize community areas as the places in which they live and many are unaware that they exist. click here to access an interactive community area map.  


photo credit: wbez

list of community areas by name | number

01 Rogers Park  

02 West Ridge   

03 Uptown 

04 Lincoln Square 

05 North Center

06 Lake View 

07 Lincoln Park 

08 Near North Side 

09 Edison Park 

10 Norwood Park

11 Jefferson Park   

12 Forest Glen

13 North Park

14 Albany Park 

15 Portage Park   

16 Irving Park  

17 Dunning   

18 Montclare  

19 Belmont Cragin

20 Hermosa  

21 Avondale 

22 Logan Square  

23 Humboldt Park  

24 West Town 

25 Austin

26 West Garfield Park      

27 East Garfield Park  

28 Near West Side

29 North Lawndale  

30 South Lawndale

31  Lower West Side   

32 The Loop

33 Near South Side  

34 Armour Square 

35 Douglas   

36 Oakland  

37 Fuller Park 

38 Grand Boulevard 

39 Kenwood  

40 Washington Park   

41 Hyde Park  

42 Woodlawn 

43 South Shore   

44 Chatham  

45 Avalon Park  

46 South Chicago 

47 Burnside 

48 Calumet Heights 

49 Roseland  

50 Pullman

51  South Deering 

52 East Side  

53 West Pullman   

54 Riverdale   

55 Hegewisch  

56 Garfield Ridge

57 Archer Heights 

58 Brighton Park    

59 McKinley Park   

60 Bridgeport    

61 New City   

62 West Elsdon   

63 Gage Park   

64 Clearing 

65 West Lawn  

66 Chicago Lawn 

67 West Englewood    

68 Englewood

69 Greater Grand Crossing    

70 Ashburn 

71 Auburn Gresham

72 Beverly 

73 Washington Heights 

74 Mount Greenwood 

75 Morgan Park    

76 O'Hare   

77 Edgewater 

neighborhoods

chicago is known as the “the city of neighborhoods” due to the large number of neighborhoods throughout the city. each neighborhood has unique, identifiable characteristics and most chicagoans recognize neighborhoods as the places in which they live, work, and socialize. neighborhoods are located within community areas and some even share the same name of the community area that they are located in (e.g. rogers park) while others do not (e.g. bronzeville is a neighborhood within the community areas of grand boulevard and douglas). community areas and neighborhoods are often used interchangeably (unknowingly) by chicagoans, but there are significant differences, including size, boundary, and historical change. also, according to the city of chicago, "city government does not  recognize or use chicago neighborhood boundaries for any official purposes."


photo credit: giordanos 

"sides of town"

chicago is also made up of various "sides of the town" based on cardinal and intercardinal directions that have identifying markers. the city recognizes three sides of town, including the north, south, and west (represented by the white stripes on the city’s flag). these sides of town, also called regional divisions, are dictated by the chicago river although these boundaries vary according to chicagoans, real estate companies, and people outside of the city (see image).


based on the street numbering system, madison street is the north | south dividing line and state street is the east | west dividing line. the south side (the largest side of town) is defined as the community areas that are south of the main branch of the chicago river. the north side (most densely populated side of town) consists of areas that are north of the main branch of the chicago river. the west side (the smallest side of town) maintains community areas west of the chicago river. the city does not recognize an east side (not to be confused with the east side community area) due to lake michigan, which dominates the city’s most eastern boundary. while there is no east side listed, some chicagoans (including both of us) and real estate companies recognize an east side of town and a distinctive culture connected to it.


photo credit: wikipedia

aldermanic wards

the chicago city council consists of 50 aldermanic wards (electoral districts) represented by alderpersons who are elected every four years. this system has been in place since 1923. to ensure equal representation throughout the city, ward borders are adjusted after every federal census to reflect changes in population (you can find redistricting maps here). some wards consist of many community areas and neighborhoods and have identifiable characteristics linked to the area and the alderpersons who represent them. click this link to access individual maps for each ward.


photo credit: city of chicago: colin boyle | block club chicago

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